Tamarac Plans Future Of Last Major Parcel

TAMARAC — The city hopes that one day an office park, some retail businesses and housing will occupy the last major, undeveloped parcel in town -- Land Section 7.

But don`t expect to see construction anytime soon.

City Planner Thelma Brown said it could be a year or more before the land-use amendments now in the works for Section 7 receive final approval from the various governmental agencies involved in the amendment process.

First, there will be a public hearing on the proposed amendments Feb. 27 before the Planning Commission. The hearing is set for 5:05 p.m. The proposed amendments will then be aired March 12 at a public hearing before the City Council, also beginning at 5:05 p.m.

The proposed amendments will then go to state and county officials for review, and then to a hearing before the County Commission, probably in early November.

Most of Land Section 7, which borders the Sawgrass Expressway on the east, now is designated for industrial, residential and commercial uses.

But under the proposed amendments, a large section of the southern half of Section 7 would be set aside for an office park. About 25 acres in the southeast corner of the south section, at the intersection of Commercial Boulevard and Nob Hill Road, would be designated commercial under the proposed amendments.

The south half of Section 7 also includes the 45-acre parcel purchased by the city in May 1985. The city is proposing a new designation for the parcel -- storage-distribution.

The city is drafting an ordinance that will specify what uses will be permitted under the new designation, Brown said.

When it purchased the land, the city intended to relocate its public works department to the site and also use the parcel for a deep well injection plant to dispose of treated wastewater from the city sewage plant. But the city is exploring the possibility of joining the county wastewater system, which would make the deep well project unnecessary.

On the north half of Section 7, the city will seek to have all but about 17 acres designated for housing. The 17-acre parcel, in the northeast corner at the intersection of McNab and Nob Hill roads, will be designated for commercial uses.

The proposed residential designation would allow seven dwelling units per acre, which is considered low density, Brown said. Areas in Section 7 now designated for residential use is high to medium density, which would allow 10 to 15 dwelling units per acre, she said.